Category: Honor

God Honors His Obedient Servants

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Honor, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-12-21
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 18:3; 18:5-7; 19:25;
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 Hezekiah obeyed the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done. 
5 Hezekiah trusted the Lord God of Israel. No other king of Judah was like Hezekiah, either before or after him. 6 He was completely faithful to the Lord and obeyed the laws the Lord had given to Moses for the people. 7 The Lord helped Hezekiah, so he was successful in everything he did. He even rebelled against the king of Assyria, refusing to be his servant.
25 Sennacherib, now listen to me, the Lord. I planned all this long ago. And you don’t even realize that I alone am the one who decided that you would do these things. I let you make ruins of fortified cities.

APPLICATION: The two chapters referenced are extremely encouraging and exciting, as they remind us of our awesome God who is very much alive and responding to our commitment to Him. Please take time to read these two chapters again today. I was intrigued by the level of commitment by king Hezekiah. Let’s remember that many kings decided to not ‘rock the boat’ and change any of the evil practices of their countrymen. However, David was a standard bearer, as new kings were always compared to their ancestor, David. Changing the ‘norm’ is something that will raise up the people against their leaders, for they are comfortable with doing the same old, same old. Yet Hezikiah decided in his heart that he would continue to be faithful to his God, whether he was king or pauper. I wonder how often we let down our guards just to go along with the crowd, and not stand out by being different? Hezekiah must have often questioned whether it was worth it to be different and stick to his principles as taught by God and his ancestors, because he was challenged on many fronts. However, I was blessed to see how God took care of Hezekiah and his people! Hezekiah may have gotten nervous when the powerful Assyrian king threatened to wipe out he and his country, just as we get nervous when we listen to the news and hear about world threats that could easily escalate to include our own country. But notice how the similarities may end when Hezekiah sought the advice of a godly role model in his day – the prophet Isaiah. Notice how Hezekiah never cursed God, but instead went to the temple and prayed even harder. Notice how Isaiah shows nothing but sincerity in relaying to Hezekiah exactly what God told him, without adding any of his personal ideas or recommendations. Notice how, through God message to Isaiah, He revealed to Hezekiah that these challenges from the Asyrian king was not a surprise to Him, but it was all in God’s plan! Notice how, even when things we read in the Bible, or in prophesies revealed to us, things may seem so far out that it’s hard to imagine the plan of God, yet we see through yet another situation where God will never withhold His blessing, or reserve His mighty plan, but instead He will do what He promised. Things beyond our control often seem impossible to us, but with the grace of God, and in His mighty power, God will never renege on His promises – He will take care of us! Let me encourage you, dear friends, to trust in the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul and mind, and He will make your path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). He did it for Hezekiah and He will do it for you!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Overnight the Asyrian army lost 185,000 men, while Hezekiah did nothing but trusting, obeying and believing. There’s no army too big, or battle too complex for our God to handle – all by Himself! Believe in Him and watch it happen!

PRAYER: So much seems impossible to us today, Lord. The economy, war, hatred, politics, family squabbles and more. Yet we are reminded in today’s Scripture that You are a God who specializes in impossibilities for those who trust in You! Praise God that You saw me in my sin. You rescued me and saved me from sin and gave me eternal life with the Father, His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. While remaining here on earth, I tend to see in my human strength. Thank You for reminding me of the supersized challenges that You overcame for Hezekiah, who had fully committed His life to You. Because You proved Yourself over and over again in the Bible, I believe that my readers, listeners and I could stand at ease, knowing that we serve a God of miracles, and that Your power is much greater than anything we could ever imagine. Instead of panicking over issues that seem so huge to us, please help us to always turn to You as our Savior, and also as our all-powerful King over all heaven and earth. Nothing is too big for You, for You made it all and You have every right to do whatever You want with it. May our faith grow each day so that we may place our faith and trust in You, being confident that You can handle every situation just as You had planned for it! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

How To Live An Honorable Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, God-honoring, Honor, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-08-17
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 Aspire[e] to lead a calm and peaceful life as you mind your own business[f] and earn your living, just as we’ve taught you. 12 By doing this you will live an honorable life, influencing others and commanding respect of even the unbelievers. Then you’ll be in need of nothing and not dependent upon others.[g]

OBSERVATION: Probably one of the most wanted characteristics that we might want to be known for, is that we were an honorable person. Think about the opposite – disrespectful; dishonest; etc. Surely no one really wants to be remembered as the latter. Even atheists know what dishonorable looks like in the life of a believer, for they know what to expect from a Christ-like person. This is a good reminder for us today to make sure that we live an honorable life before God.

APPLICATION: Paul was very aware of the issues that prevented the Thessalonians church from excelling in its ministry to the community. Unfortunately, we also must look inward when we notice that the ministry to the unbelieving community has slowed, or has been fractured. Using the godly advice given by Paul, here are some things we should look at also as children of the King. We should individually aspire to:
~ Be calm – I know, you are not a naturally calm person, right? You may often be accused of having ADHD, or bouncing off the walls! But what generally happens in the case of the latter? Aren’t they more apt to speak before they think; Rush into action without thinking about the consequences? Versus being calm might give the impression that you have nothing to worry about because you know that God is in control. This type attitude might also show that you have no reason to jump ahead of God, for He is in control of your life and very much in charge of His church;
~ Live a peaceful life – This may have some of the above characteristics, but for the person living a peaceful life, they avoid causing trouble in the community – whether neighbors or even in the church community. Again, one can especially accomplish this when they have resigned themselves to the fact that God is in control! Often, one can only gain peace in their heart, soul and mind when they know that the God of this universe, is also the God of their lives and there’s nothing to be personally worried about;
~ Mind your own business – Trouble starts when we dip into other people’s business and try to tell them what to do. I’m not talking about good advice dear friend, but instead, referring to the times that we ignore our own issues and try to correct others. Perhaps if we spent more time minding what we do, or not do, then we might get better at it and be better off for it! Being a ‘Nosey parker’, giving unwanted advice, and pretending to be a ‘know-it-all’ will cause strife between neighbors and/or friends. We might become known as a trouble maker;
~ Earn your own living – Work for what you need or want. Others will respect a hardworking man or woman, but despise a lazy individual who waits for others to fill the gap for what they are lacking. Please don’t read into this more than it says. There are some who are disabled or otherwise handicapped, and they need government assistance. This is not the individual that Paul, or I, referred to in this point.
The rewards for doing the above is that the diligent servant will be recognized as ‘honorable’; they will influence others; and they will gain respect from everyone – even unbelievers. When this happens, unbelievers will then be open to listening to our message, for they will want to know where our strength, wisdom and help comes from. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be granted unto you. Please consider reading my Footnote and the link behind ‘To Know Jesus’, I believe it will direct you to seek Jesus and His Kingdom! Please contact me with any questions, or if I might pray with you about a need.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I want to be recognized as an honorable man who achieved such recognition because of You – the One in whom I believed, and Your Holy Spirit that resided in my life. It’s You that I want my family and friends to know of oh God, and I would ask that You always draw my attention to anything that might interfere or hinder a positive witness. Please touch the hearts of my readers who might stop long enough to consider Your Word today, and the importance of living an honorable life that represents you best. Oh Lord, be glorified in and through me today so that You might be lifted up and glorified. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

When God ‘Tunes In’ To You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Honor, Love, PraiseLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-11-02

Bible Reference: John 9:1-3
Translation: New Life Version (NLV)

Bible Text:  1 As Jesus went on His way, He saw a man who had been born blind. 2 His followers asked Him, “Teacher, whose sin made this man to be born blind? Was it the sin of this man or the sin of his parents?” 3 Jesus answered, “The sin of this man or the sin of his parents did not make him to be born blind. He was born blind so the work of God would be seen in him.

OBSERVATION: There are many times that I feel like the song ‘Nobody‘ was written just for me. But imagine if you or I were waiting along an obscure parade route where dignitaries were about to pass, and upon drawing closer to where we were tucked away, the parade stopped and the top dignitary pointed to us and ordered an audience with us. In spite of feeling like our end had come, the dignitary probably had just the opposite in mind. Let’s look into what Jesus had in mind with the blind man in today’s Scripture.

APPLICATION:  There were two things that God really drew to my attention in these verses today, and I want to share them with you so that you might also be encouraged by the Word of God. First of all, I can only believe that there were lots of people watching along the parade route as Jesus and His disciples passed by. Imagine how word had gotten around that this miracle-working man, or prophet, was going to be within sight distance of the people. You will remember that one lady at one time felt like if she could only touched the hem of Jesus’ garment she would receive enough power to totally heal her of her decease, so don’t you know that everyone tried to make their way near to the route that they heard Jesus would travel? But more than all this, Jesus actually ‘tuned in‘ on one particular man who had been blind since birth. So why do I feel like Jesus was ‘tuned in‘ to this man? Let me give you a personal explanation. While at our last church service I saw hundreds of people, but there were some that I can tell you particular details about, because I ‘tuned in’ to them for one reason or another. I believe that it was obvious to the disciples that Jesus had ‘tuned in‘ to the blind man, because they started to ask Him questions without having to first explain who they were talking about. So why is this important? Friends, I don’t know about you, but I often question “Who am I Lord, that a King should bleed and die for“! Imagine the crowd, who was this blind man that it warranted the close attention of the Savior of the world that day? Now what really brought this home for me, is when I tie that thought together with the second phrase that spoke to me. Friends, we must realize that God not only sees us as His special jewel, but imagine that we are so special, in spite of what we may look at as natural imperfections, that Jesus would use us in accomplishing His will. I believe that this blind man was very special to Jesus, because Jesus declared that even through this man’s infirmity, the mighty works of God would be accomplished. In other words, others will see God and recognize His power and His might as He declares His handiwork through this (insignificant) blind man! Wow! What do you think, can God also accomplish His work through you or I? You bet! He designed us just the way we are, for a purpose. Are you ready to surrender your life to Him to be used for His glory in whichever way He sees fit today? This is what He is looking for friends! Let’s just be obedient to His call, and watch Him perform mighty works even through us, if He chooses to, so that He might be glorified!

PRAYER: Father, Just as You chose to use a blind man to display Your mighty works, I believe that You also have a plan for each one reading this devotional today. We are a masterpiece made by You, yet so often we allow Satan to defeat us by showing us everything that wicked men might look on as proof of success, or love, or worth. Please forgive us Lord for allowing our worldly eyes to take over and cause us to lose sight of the wonderful worth of being a child of the King of all kings. Lord, may Your perfect will be accomplished in and through the lives of my readers and myself this blessed day. Please rule in us, so that You may display Your mighty works through us, all for Your glory, Your honor and Your praise. To be considered as Your son is an honor worthy of my unending praise. Please use my readers and I for Your glory today, is my humble prayer that I ask in thanksgiving and through the precious and worthy name of Jesus, my Lord! AMEN!

We Are Accountable To God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Honest, Honor, Powerful, Respect, The WordLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-09-30

Bible Reference: Hebrews 4:12-13
Translation: The New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

OBSERVATION: Some may tend to look at the Bible as a book of stories about events from long, long ago. Some may stop to consider how odd it is that prophesies foretold hundreds of years earlier, actually came to fruition during the span of time the Bible was written. While others, like me, may actually live our lives today in honor of what the Word of God says, because we feel like it is the living Word of God, already proven accurate in numerous ways. And so we await the completed work of God, based on the rest of the story. Let’s meditate on what today’s story tells us about accountability!

APPLICATION:  Ever get frustrated by someone telling you something, but not really telling you enough to help you understand the full impact of what they mean? Imagine telling a blind person that the sky is not blue today? Would that really help them understand what color the sky really is today? I got the impression from this scripture that the Word of God is still very much alive today as it always has been, meaning that it’s fresh, current, discerning, applicable, and will not cut any punches, but get straight to the point for us. It is through this same Word that God actually touches our heart, prompts our thoughts and energizes us towards living Godly lives that resemble His example. Think of it as us being an open book before God! So why is this important Christian friend? Surely God is saying to us that as a child we look to, and obeyed our parents in order to live obedient and upright lives, following in their example as much as possible. God is like our parent, helping us continue to determine right from wrong. Additionally, He sent His Son, Jesus, to set an example of the life that He would like for us to live. If we have invited Him to be our Savior; our Father; our deliverer; our leader in life; then we are His children, and He will hold us accountable to all that He teaches and expects of us. How are you doing with that, dear friend? Are you in the Word enough to allow it to teach you the ‘right’ way to live – to walk, talk and act like Him? So then, why would this be important to you who have not accepted my Lord as your Savior? I believe that there is no reason for doubt about the way you should live your life. Without Christ, you will live by every shift of wind, and very much according to those around you and the circumstances that surround you. This will often lead to confusion, frustration, evil and hatred – just as the world lives. A choice to live a committed life to God, is a will to be obedient in ways that will please and honor God, to live according to the example He set for us while here on earth, and the excitement of living in the awesome expectation of one day being face-to-face with Jesus in glory. It’s the comfort of knowing that you are loved, protected and cared about by the God of this universe! How awesome is that friend? May I have the honor of introducing you to my Friend? Please read my ‘Footnote’ for additional direction. To all my readers, please read the last sentence carefully and understand that we are accountable to God for our decisions, our actions and our obedience. Is there anything you would dread if you were called before God today?

PRAYER: Dear God, we are so frivolous to believe that we can live our lives any way we please because of our freedom to choose. You gave us the freedom of choice, but we are accountable to You for the choices we make, and the resulting consequences or rewards for those choices. Please forgive us for our littleness in thinking that it’s nobody’s business but ours what we do with our life, for You sent Your one and only Son to the cross to show us Your love and how much You care about our choices. Please awaken us and keep our eyes focused on You in all of our choices, and may this reflect in the way that we live, so that others might be drawn to You through our surrender, obedience and witness. I realize this is an awesome and powerful request Oh Lord, but because I am asking this in the name of our most awesome and powerful Savior, Jesus Christ, I am comforted that I can ask this in confidence and with thanksgiving. AMEN!

Standing in the Way of Blessing?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Honor, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, Worship2 Comments

Monday, 2019-08-12

Bible Reference: Joshua 7:10-12
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 10 Get up. What are you doing in the dirt? 11 There’s a simple explanation: Israel has sinned. They have lied and have violated the covenant I gave them by stealing some of the property that should have been destroyed along with the rest of Jericho and by hiding it among their own belongings.
12 That is why the Israelites can no longer resist their enemies. They run from their foes because they are under a curse and doomed to destruction. I will not be with you or fight for you unless these things devoted to destruction are truly destroyed.

OBSERVATION: The Israelites had the task of taking over town after town, that existed on all the land given to them by God, and they had been very successful with Jericho. However, in their attempt with Ai, they encountered some loss of life. For God was not willing to go on blessing them while there was sin in their camp. Because of one man’s sin, others loss their lives, while thousands upon thousands suffered because of the withdrawal of God’s hand of blessing. I wonder, has God’s hand of blessing upon our families, our churches, our cities and our country been impacted because of the sin or one reading this devotional today?

APPLICATION: There seems to be increased tolerance by people and churches to accept almost any condition of society, so that we can fit into their view of what Christ’s church should look like. Fortunately for some countries, including my country, churches are not yet being forced by government to accept certain societal groups who may have beliefs that differ to our interpretation of the Bible’s standards and teachings. However, putting all this aside, I was keenly aware, and reminded, of the importance that God places on obeying Him and honoring His Word. In our story, one man decided that it was OK for him to withhold some of the loot from their raid of Jericho, which was in direct disobedience of God’s instructions. Because of this, God withdrew His power (His blessings) on their (the Israelites) next raid, as they tried to take over Ai. I believe the main takeaway for us in this passage today is that God will not bless sin. He will not bless where sin abides. He will not bless where people, or even a single person decides, apart from God, that it’s OK for them to do their own thing. Please know that this has nothing to do with creativity, for God created us to be creative and think for ourselves, however when He sets boundaries for us, and when He establishes rules and commandments for us, it’s for our own good, our own protection, and for His glory. I believe that God has designed us to be like Him, and I believe that He established guardrails to help us live, work, love, and act more like Him while here on this earth. Friends, if others never recognize Jesus in us, do you really feel like you are honestly being led/guided by Him and living according to His will and purpose? God will not tolerate sin, and since He is the same God who did not tolerate the sin of Achan (the man in our story), I have every reason to believe that He will withdraw His blessing on us when sin abides within. Will you intentionally deny the blessing of God on others because of your selfish desires and stubborn will? I pray that is not the case with any reading this devotional today.

PRAYER: Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the many blessings that You bestow on my family, my church, my city, my state and my country, please, please, please give me strength each day to faithfully honor You, for You alone are worthy of my honor, my obedience and my praise. Because of my son-ship, please help me to always desire and aim to live a sinless life because of a deep desire to please You. Please help me to never forget that in order to receive Your rich blessings poured out daily on myself and those I love and associate with, I must do my part in honoring You and my commitment to be Your follower. Oh that we may live like You today, is my deepest desire today oh Lord. AMEN!

A God-filled, God-honoring Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Filled With The Spirit, God-honoring, Honor, True witnesses, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Titus 2:11-14 (MSG)

TEXT:  11-14 God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

OBSERVATION:   In the first 10 verses of this chapter, Paul shares with Titus the importance of teaching older men, older women, younger men and younger women, how to live a God-filled, God-honoring life, and the importance of doing so. This teaching has never been more critical than it is for us today, so as we meditate on this, let’s try to apply it – for the kingdom of God is at hand!

APPLICATION:   Telling a politician, or a public figure to include something on ‘right living’ in their political agenda, would almost seem hypocritical compared to the backbiting, hatred and name calling they normally do. Telling an evangelist to hit the streets and demand this lifestyle of those coming out of the bars and dance halls would probably be meaningless to a people are already living the best lifestyle they know how to live. But I believe that just as Paul gave this advice to his fellow laborer and Brother in the Lord, and expected him to share this with those that he found in the local church, we too must be prepared to give this advice to our pastors, teachers and leaders of our churches today. The whole reason for this, comes down to our churches empowering our people not just with the awesome power of God’s Word, but also asking its parishioners to live and practice the life that they are being taught from God’s Word. So in effect, we are encouraging each one to become the church to all those that they come into contact with! I believe that it is our responsibility to live like ‘little Christs’, before all those we come into contact with, especially if we are God-filled, and if we are giving every effort to honor God with our speech, behavior and character. I just love the latter part of this Scripture where we are told that God gave up everything, when He allowed His precious Son to die on the cross for us, for He wanted to make it possible and easy for us to make Him proud of us. How do you feel about your day friend? Did you make God proud in everything that you did? Would others conclude that you are a ‘God-filled’ person, and that you honor God through the things that you say and do? The Word says that when we strive towards these things, we develop an appetite and excitement about the glorious day when our Lord will return! God saw the need for Titus to hear these words from Paul, and I believe that He wants us to also get the picture He is portraying for us today about our earthly condition, in preparation for our heavenly celebration and our eternal home!

PRAYER:   Oh that your people may know about You Lord! Oh that we, who are called by Your name, will seek Your face, humble ourselves and pray, and allow ourselves to be so filled with Your presence, Your character, Your love and to seek Your Holy Spirit for every decision in life, so that we may be God-filled and so that we may honor You in all things. Please anoint us today with Your power, so that we may look more like You in the eyes of those searching for the Master. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

With Praise and Honor to God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiven, Forgiveness, God our Helper, Help, Honor, Our Help comes from God, SavedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Psalm 79:9 (NCV)

TEXT:   God our Savior, help us
so people will praise you.
Save us and forgive our sins
so people will honor you.

OBSERVATION:   Asaph, the writer of Psalm 79, felt like God was punishing the nation of Israel for all their past sins. So in his petitions to God, he included this verse while pleading with God to save his nation. Oh that we may be so concerned about the sins of our respective nations where we live, and so deeply moved to write a similar verse to God asking Him to use us as instruments of change, instead of us adding fuel to the already hot fire of sin. 

APPLICATION:   I believe it is evident from everything we see, hear and do, that Satan has turned up the heat on our young people and on our adult population. Unfortunately, the church – members and attendees, have become so lukewarm, selfish, segregated and standoffish that the church has lost its impact on our society. More and more laws and rules have been implemented because Christians have not been active before the throne in prayer. Why would children of God ever settle in their faith knowing that their leaders have approved and are ok with the killing of unborn babies. Why would we ever settle in our faith knowing that the drugs that have either killed loved ones or totally destroyed their minds, are now becoming mainstream, and approved drugs? First approved for apparent medical use, but in many states of America quickly being followed with approval for recreational use. Friends, when are we ever going to follow the example of 2 Chronicles 7:14. When are we ever going to surrender to God as Asaph did in our focal Scripture today? Oh friends, where does our help come from? We do not resort to crime against the criminals, we have a Savior that loves them just like He loves us. Fortunately He can also touch their hearts and convince them of their sin. Our part is to encourage those who are slaves to the sins of this world, and to follow the example of 2 Chronicles 7:14. To do this, we can plead with God like the Psalmist did: Help us Lord, so that the people (those that we pray with, and for) will praise You. Save us from our own weaknesses and desire to sin so that the people may honor You. Notice that in both Scriptures that I referenced, that prayer is more than going before God for our own selfish desires. We can all look around us and see things that are happening that really hurts our soul. What are we doing about it? I know, we are so small in the whole scope of things, and that there is very little that we can do, right? Please friends, don’t let Satan pull that one on you, because we serve the God that put this whole world together. He created the complex bodies that we live in, and He loves us enough that He willingly went to the cross, knowing that it would be through His shed blood that we could have eternal life in glory. He brought the dead back to life, and He intervened in battles and saved very small armies from very large opposers. Don’t you think that we can trust Him with the issues that we face today? You better believe it! I don’t believe that there is anything bearing on our hearts that God won’t listen to, care about, and seek to answer if appropriate.   

PRAYER:   Thank You Lord for caring about Your children and all that we are concerned about. We are so sorry for the mess that is evident in our world today. As I read the Old Testament and see the awful things that You dealt with there, I am astonished….. until I reflect on the awful things that You are still dealing with today – even in my country, state and city. Lord, please impress the seriousness of the hour to all ‘Christians’. Please impress upon us the need to clarify and commit our own lives fully to You and Your service, so that when ‘Your people’ decides to humble themselves and pray, You will hear our prayer. As the Psalmist said, may all glory be Yours in whatever is accomplished. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

Things That Make God Angry At You

On By Ed AlgreenIn God-honoring, Honor, LoyaltyLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Friday, 2017-12-01
SCRIPTURE

From:

 1 Kings 11:9-10 (ERV)

Text:

 9 So Solomon did not remain faithful to the Lord, the God of Israel, even though God had appeared to him twice. The Lord became angry with him. 10 He had told Solomon that he must not follow other gods, but Solomon did not obey the Lord’s command.
OBSERVATION:
In the first half of the story of king Solomon, we read so much about how the king was endowed with wisdom like no other man on earth, and about how successful Solomon was in building an awesome temple for the Ark of God to reside in. It was also the  place  for the people to worship the Lord God at. The king tried in many ways to honor God, like his father David did, and to carry on his legacy for the Lord, like his father David had demonstrated. However, Solomon started sneaking in a few things that God had ordered him not to do, and this ultimately led to his downfall.
APPLICATION:
Most of us, as kids, tried many of the things that our parents warned us to stay away from! Often it was because of friends, or out of thinking that our parents were so archaic that they really didn’t know the good about each thing they warned us to stay away from! Obviously Solomon was one who had to prove things for himself. However, this got him into some deep trouble. God has also warned us throughout His Word about things that we should stay away from, and what do we wind up doing? Take for example a possible warning to protect our bodies, which is the temple of the Holy Ghost, yet we take His temple into all sorts of places, we expose it to all sorts of arguments and bad words not suitable for any man to be exposed to; we gorge on food until we make ourselves sick; we are unkind to folk that Jesus bled and died for; we expose the temple to poisons like alcohol abuse and cigarette smoke that not only do these tend to poison our Savior’s presence, but these are also known to destroy families and key parts of our body. So please don’t look down on Solomon until you have sought the face of Jesus to help you clean up your own acts. Friends, the whole idea of God entering our bodies through His Holy Spirit, is to help us live pure and honest lives that aligns with the Word of God and is pleasing to our Master. Do you suppose that I might be correct in assuming that even after learning these lessons from Solomon, we are still pouring more ‘poison’ into our bodies, than we are doing with praises or things that are pleasing to, and appreciated by God? I believe that very much like Solomon, we too need to have a little talk with Jesus and make things right! Make this your aim today dear friends.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, I know that You must often look at mankind and shake Your head in wonderment as to whether we will ever learn from our mistakes and from lessons learned from the mistakes of others. Lord, You created us and You know our weaknesses all too well. I humbly ask today that You may use this lesson today to tender the hearts of all my readers so that we all may learn from Your servant Solomon. He meant well when doing everything that brought praise to You, but in his weakness, he also rebelled against You in doing the very things that You warned him not to do. Lord, I’m afraid that many of us are just the same today. We need your forgiveness and we need even more of Your strength and guidance to be more like You. Please hear our prayer and grant our request as You see fit dear God. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Sanctified Tabernacle

On By Ed AlgreenIn Honor, Praise, WorshipLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Wednesday, 2017-03-29
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Exodus 29:43-46 (TLB)

Text:

 43 And I will meet with the people of Israel there, and the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 Yes, I will sanctify the Tabernacle and the altar and Aaron and his sons who are my ministers, the priests. 45 And I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, 46 and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.…
OBSERVATION:
Through the instructions given to the Israelites about their tabernacle where they would meet to offer sacrifices and praise to God the Father, they were assured that the tabernacle would be sanctified by the glory of God and that their leaders would be appropriately sanctified also. God also assured them that He would live among them and they would know that He is the Lord their God. Wow, how does that work with us today?
APPLICATION:
What do you suppose would be different about our attendance at church if we knew that a world leader would be in worship with us next weekend? Do you suppose that the sanctuary would fill up quickly and the whole service would be filled with awe over the presence of such a leader sharing in worship with us? Do you suppose that leader might gain a new respect from us after they return to their normal weekly duties? Isn’t it interesting that the Creator of the universe has promised to be in our midst whenever two or three would gather in His name to worship Him, yet some can’t be bothered to get up because its the only day they have to sleep in, or the only day they could go to the beach, or clean house, or….. Friends, when we ignore the opportunity to go and spend time in God’s presence to worship Him with other believers, why on earth should we expect to have Him at our beck and call every time during the week that we have need to call on Him. Would you make more of an effort to attend, and would you act any differently when you walked through the doors of the sanctuary if you knew confidently that God’s presence was overwhelmingly there? Do you suppose that we would find time in our respective services to just savor on His presence and offer up individual praise to our Father? Would we be able to break the man-made flow of the service and just recognize God? Would you be able to ‘turn off’ the worries of the week long enough to give Him your undivided attention and recognition of His awesome presence? If you stop and reflect on the Word of God, you will recall that it assures us that God inhabits the praises of His people. He has promised to be in our presence whenever two or three would meet in His name. This assures me that He IS there patiently waiting for us to stop talking to each other, or looking at our cell phones, or worrying ourselves sick of personal issues. Will we continue to disappoint Him and ignore Him friends? I pray that we will come to our senses every time we have opportunity to meet together to worship our Lord. Will you make an effort to give Him your attention, your honor and your praise?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus please forgive us for ignoring Your presence, especially in our services where we claim that we are there to worship You. The Israelites were promised that Your glory would fill their tabernacle. You have also promised that You would be present in our midst, and I’m sure that wherever You are, that place is filled with Your glory. Thank You Heavenly Father for meeting in our midst and welcoming our praise. Lord, may we be more mindful of Your presence so that the sincerity of our offerings of praise and worship would be evident to You in very meaningful ways. Lord, You know that we love and appreciate You. Please help us to show that in every aspect of our lives, especially in Your sanctuary. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Obey God, By Obeying The Government

On By Ed AlgreenIn Government Leaders, Honor, Humility, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-10-22

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 13:1–2

Bible Text: 1 Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. 2 So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

During this heated/sensitive time in America, with our general elections at hand, this subject may almost seem like provocation towards how we are to look at our government leaders. However, friends I believe I would be wrong to overlook my responsibility if I skip over regularly scheduled portions of the Bible where God has a word for me, and hopefully for all reading this devotional. In fact, I believe that our most worthy God is pointing out to us through His Word, that our elections are all about Him, and not about our ideals, or our wishes, or the platform of the candidates. It appears to me that God has a plan for us and our respective countries. Yes, our assumptions may be correct in saying that if a particular person is elected, we project that there are great times ahead for us, or perhaps to the contrary, that there are very challenging times ahead for us. The point is, when Christians look to God for His perfect plan for us, and submit ourselves to the leader that He would have us choose to fulfill His mission, God’s mission, then we will be at peace with God and with the results of our elections. God is the only one who could steer us towards choosing the right leaders so that He (God) might accomplish His will for His people over the next number of years. In looking for excuses, we may doubt this process because we don’t see godliness in any of our candidates. To reread the scripture is to remind ourselves that this is not one of the conditions. In fact, if the recent statistic is true that only 9% are followers of Christ, wouldn’t it be easy to conclude that our people will not vote in a proclaimed Christian? I believe that God is teaching us that in this life, there will be steering currents that will point us towards the cross, and some that will lead us to the depths of Hell. In this scripture today, God is teaching us about who’s in charge, even in our government, and how we are to be obedient to the fact that He will direct our paths, even through a corrupt government. Friends, the bottom line is that God said it, and our responsibility is to believe and obey His Word without analyzing it to pieces and trying to find a way to make it irrelevant to us, in this day and time. So I repeat the Word of God, our government leaders are put in place by God, and if we choose to dishonor or disobey our leaders, we are disobeying God Himself. I believe He will judge us for that friend!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for pointing out to us through Your Word how we are to be obedient to You in all aspects of our lives, even through the election, and leadership of, our government leaders. We easily see, and praise You for the good things done by our respective governments, but then we fail by assuming Satan has taken control when things are done that impact us negatively. Throughout Your Word You have shown us where various methods have been used by You when it became necessary to get the attention of Your people. We are probably more stubborn today than ever before, about wanting things our way, and wanting our lives coated with nothing but good, so I dare not question how You will get our attention, but learn to trust in You for all things. Traditionally bad things have brought out the best in Your children, but Lord we hope that You could teach us to honor all those that You have placed in authority over us, without asking why You’ve put them there. May our hearts and minds be fixed on You, and not the leaders or government that may prod us towards the path You have set out for us to travel. We are Your children Lord, bless us and make us usable by You to a lost world. For I humble ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!